Updated
2025-02-24T15:30:11Z
- The 96th Academy Awards are on Sunday, March 2.
- Some of the recipients of the most Oscars in history never set foot in front of the camera.
- Walt Disney holds the record for the most wins, taking home 22 from 59 nominations.
When you think of Oscar winners, your mind might go to some of the biggest names in Hollywood, like Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, or Viola Davis.
But some of the winningest individuals in Oscars history actually made their impacts behind the scenes, bringing dinosaurs to life in "Jurassic Park," composing songs for "The Little Mermaid," and doing makeup for "Men in Black."
Edith Head, an eight-time Oscar winner — and the most awarded woman in Oscars history — famously said, "What a costume designer does is a cross between magic and camouflage. We create the illusion of changing the actors into what they are not. We ask the public to believe that every time they see a performer on the screen he's become a different person."
From costume designers like Head, to composers, sound engineers, and set designers, these individuals helped create the magic needed for movies to thrive.
As excitement builds for this year's nominees, get to know the achievements and contributions of the 12 people with the most competitive Academy Awards in history.
Gordon Hollingshead — 7 Oscars
Gordon Hollingshead — whose movie career spanned from 1916 to his death in 1952 — won his first competitive Oscar for best assistant director in 1933, a category that would only exist through 1937.
He also won three best short subject (two-reel) awards, two best short subject (one-reel) awards, and one best documentary (short subject) award.
These categories have also been redefined since his victories in the 1940s and 1950s; they are now known as the awards for best live action short film and best documentary short film.
Fred Quimby — 7 Oscars
"Tom and Jerry" producer Fred Quimby received his first Oscar nomination and trophy in 1944 for best short subject (cartoon) for "Yankee Doodle Mouse."
His other six wins would all come from the same category, which is now called best animated short film.
Gary Rydstrom — 7 Oscars
Director and sound designer Gary Rydstrom was awarded best sound and best sound effects editing for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," "Jurassic Park," and "Saving Private Ryan."
He also has a best sound award for "Titanic," bringing his total award count to seven.
Richard Day — 7 Oscars
Richard Day won seven awards for best art direction (now known as best production design), beginning in 1936 with "The Dark Angel" and concluding in 1954 with "On the Waterfront."
Rick Baker — 7 Oscars
Described by the Oscars as a "lifelong 'monster kid,'" makeup artist Rick Baker has made significant contributions to the world of movie makeup across genres, winning seven Academy Awards throughout his career.
In 1981, Baker received his first nomination and win for best makeup for "An American Werewolf in London."
In the '90s, he had multiple wins with "Ed Wood" (1995), "The Nutty Professor" (1997), and "Men in Black" (1998).
Another memorable contribution includes transforming Jim Carrey into the Grinch for the 2000 movie "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
Edwin B. Willis — 8 Oscars
Working alongside esteemed art director Cedric Gibbons, set designer Edwin B. Willis won eight Oscars in 15 years for his contributions to set design within the art direction category.
His first win came in 1941 for his work in interior direction on "Blossoms in the Dust," and his final win came in 1956 for his work in Set Decoration on "Somebody Up There Likes Me."
Alan Menken — 8 Oscars
Disney fans can say a big thank you to composer Alan Menken, the mind behind the music in "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," and "Pocahontas."
Menken won two Academy Awards for each of these films, winning in the scoring and original song categories.
Dennis Muren — 8 Oscars
Dennis Muren won eight Academy Awards for his contributions to visual effects on iconic films like "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Jurassic Park."
Muren's work had a significant impact on popular films throughout the '80s and '90s, like "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial," "Innerspace," and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."
In addition to his competitive Oscars, Muren also won a technical achievement award in 1981.
Edith Head — 8 Oscars
The beautiful costumes worn by Audrey Hepburn in the classics "Roman Holiday" and "Sabrina" came from eight-time Oscar-winner Edith Head.
Known for her "distinctive personal style" and "forthright personality," according to the Oscars website, Head built a career dressing some of the most famous movie stars of her time, like Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, and Steve McQueen. In all, she received 35 nominations and is the winningest woman in Oscars history.
Other winning films she designed costumes for include "The Heiress," "All About Eve," "Samson and Delilah," "A Place in the Sun," "The Facts of Life," and "The Sting."
Alfred Newman — 9 Oscars
Alfred Newman, who was known for films like "The King and I," won nine awards for his work as a composer.
He won his first Oscar in 1938 for scoring "Alexander's Ragtime Band" and his final Oscar in 1967 for "Camelot."
Cedric Gibbons — 11 Oscars
Cedric Gibbons won best art direction 11 times out of 38 nominations.
His first award came in 1930 at the second annual Academy Awards ceremony for "The Bridge of San Luis Rey." He won his final Oscar in 1957 for "Somebody Up There Likes Me"
Walt Disney — 22 Oscars
Walt Disney dominated the best short subject (cartoon) category (now awarded as best animated short film) throughout the 1930s with projects like "Flowers and Trees," "Ferdinand the Bull," and "The Ugly Duckling."
His films continued to win awards throughout his life, and he won his final competitive Oscar posthumously in 1969 for "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day," bringing his total to 22 awards from 59 nominations.
In addition to his competitive awards, Disney was also the recipient of four non-competitive special awards for the creation of Mickey Mouse, the significance of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in animation, the use of sound in "Fantasia," and his work as a creative producer, for which he won the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.
